Beauty Beyond Measure

  He has made everything beautiful in its time.  

(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

I marvel at the beauty seen in a well-cultivated garden or a beautifully-landscaped property.  The gardener has taken time, talent and thought to piece together a work of art.  In a world where I expect everything, at once, ready-made, and to my liking, I am thinking I should take a leaf out of God's Book; where the ultimate gardener patiently brought the world into existence.  He took seven days.  In the unfolding of days one to five, we see the brilliance and creativity of how God made everything ready for humanity; water, light, air, plants, sun, moon, stars, fish and birds. 

Saving the best for last, he brought animals and then His crowning creation, humanity, into existence, on day six.  In His wonderful wisdom, He rested on day seven, and no, God was not tired.  He had simply finished the work of creating, with all its beauty.  And He took all the time He needed.

Whether it be waiting for the subtle colours in the rising of the sun, or the incredible painting of the western sky at dusk; the blooming of a flower or the first glimps of a new-born baby; beauty is always worthy of the wait.  Paint that sunset.  Plant that seed.  Pour your love into that sweet baby's precious life.

Be of good courage, friends.  Sow kindness.  Sow joy.  Sow beauty.  Sow the incredible, indelible gospel and fruit will come; everlasting fruit; beauty beyond measure.  The Gardener, Jesus Christ, will bring you to His eternal rest; to behold His beauty.  And, while we will be taken aback to see the nail prints in His hands and feet, they will be of utmost beauty to us.  God's plans, from eternity past, will finally bear eternal fruit.  

Sow righteousness for yourselves,

reap the fruit of unfailing love,

and break up your unplowed ground;

for it is time to seek the Lord,

until he comes

and showers his righteousness on you.

(Hosea 10:12)

Platitudes just won't cut it

Platitude: "a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful."

If you're running your life on platitudes

You'll be nowhere near the beatitudes.

Only Christ underpinning your attitudes,

Will make the gospel count for infinitude.

As the wonderful hymn states:

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand.

All other ground is sinking sand.

Quenching My Thirst

May 28, 2021.

Back in Nova Scotia since a few weeks, the "Hummers" are fueling up to take care of their wee, (very wee) ones. Watching them hover, wings a-fluttering at the speed of approximately 53 beats per second, it's a marvelous work of God to behold. A group of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds is called a "Charm," and charming they are. I am mesmerized by their beauty.

Sipping at a feeder, they do not stay for very long, only taking what they need; returning time and time again throughout the day until dusk begins to fall.  Some lessons for me:

 

Drink in God's word.

 Quench my thirst all day long, from dawn to dusk.

 Apply it to my life, every   single   day.

 

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

(Psalm 148:3)

Do your clothes fit?

 

Pretty much everyone I know puts on some kind of clothes, every day.  For many of us, we have walk-in closets and bureau drawers full to the overflowing.  And, at that, a lot of our clothes don’t even fit.

Colossians 3:12,13 speaks of clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; with the addition of  putting  up with each other, and forgiving one another.   It ends with the overcoat: “and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”(v. 14)

Do I even have these clothes in my closet? 

Paul finishes the entire section by stating:

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col. 3:17)

Admittedly, this summary gives me pause, as I consider that I have often acted too hastily, spoken too harshly. But it also gives me encouragement. Because my words and my deeds are ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus,’ I can speak and I can act in His power and by His mercy. This clothing is, essentially, “putting on Christ,” (Romans 13:14). In doing so, with a thankful heart, it means that what seems downright impossible is entirely feasible. If I am willing to raid my closet, there is a lot of clothing that needs to go: the glittery cloaks of pride and arrogance; of bad temper and rough words; of impatience and an unforgiving heart.

 Being clothed with Christ is so much more fitting.

Oh, to be colour-blind

If only humanity was colour-blind when it comes to skin colour.  We just can’t seem to get past the nonsense, the ugliness, the prejudice of thinking that skin colour should dictate someone's status in life. 

When I was a child, our family moved to a new community.  Well, you would have thought we came from another planet; perhaps even another universe.  I won’t even mention the despicable names that were placed on me; names directly related to the fact that my skin tone was ever-so-slightly-darker than those around me.  And I mean, ever-so-slightly; imperceptibly so.  Did it mark me?  Yes.  I came home from school, every day, in tears.  I absolutely despise the reality of someone being degraded because of skin colour.

What is our response to the contemptible actions perpetrated by those who are convinced of their superiority because of their white skin?  I am sick-and-tired; tired-and-sick.  Thinking of the awful killing of George Floyd, I am ready to vomit.  This is not just an “American problem.”  This is sin; full-blown. 

Mr. Floyd deserves justice.  The police officers who engaged in this murderous act need to be charged.  Since when do you need all the facts before you charge someone?  Did these police officers even search out any facts, before destroying this man's life?  Should not the wheels of justice be turning already, given the very clear video?  These policemen have been fired.  Good, but not good enough.  They need to be in jail, without bail; charged for murder. I am praying for a truthful, detailed investigation.

I am sorry that so many citizens of Minneapolis have responded by looting and burning.  Hate will never be destroyed by hate; albeit I understand their overwhelming frustrations.

Back to my childhood.  My Mom encouraged me thus: “Forgive them.”  She was right.  And while that answer might seem like I would be giving these policemen a pass, it is not so.  Forgiving someone does not justify their actions, nor does it free them to continue with those same actions.  It erases a much larger debt that they could never pay, a debt owed to God, and it realeses the forgiver from hatred.  Meanwhile, these men should pay with their lives, in jail, for the rest of their lives.  

Every life matters.  Black lives matter.  Mr. Floyd’s life matters.

Weeping, as I write. 

“The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom and his tongue speaks justice.” (Psalm 37:30)

And they remembered His words

These times are unprecedented, confusing, and disconcerting.  We could all use a solid rock upon which to stand; a sure foundation, not unlike the time surrounding the death of Jesus Christ.  I can picture the uncertainty, the palpable fear, and the consternation, on the Sunday morning when women went to Jesus’ tomb with their expensive, sacrificial burial spices.

Who would roll away the stone; the stone that weighed over 900kg?  Would the Roman soldiers who guarded the tomb stop the women?  Would they hurt them; kill them?  Did these women have in mind that they, like Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus, would be unclean once they touched the dead body of Jesus? Nevertheless, their love propelled them forward.  

Upon their arrival, the guards were gone, the stone was rolled away and instead of a dead body, these women encountered angels; angels who spoke these words:

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here but He is risen. 

Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,

saying that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,

and be crucified and the third day rise again.” (Luke 24:5-7)

And they remembered His words(verse 8)

If I ‘remember His words,’ I will do well.  I will remember that Jesus Christ is a Solid Rock, a Sure Foundation.  I will remember that He will carry us through the uncertainties.  I will not fear.  In order to actually remember His words, I need to immerse myself in them, rather than being immersed in the newsreels of this current pandemic. 

Does this mean I should bury my head in the sand and ignore this global crisis?  No.  There is much that I can do to alleviate sadness, loneliness, and fear seen in those around me.  I can pray for others, encourage the lonely through phone calls and social media, and point people to the One who has all things, including the whole world, in His hands.

“Thy word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.”

 (Psalm 119:105)

March 30, 2020.

The Father’s Arms

The Prodigal Son is a powerful parable that Jesus gave us, in the Bible, (Luke 15:11-32). As my Pastor spoke on this very passage, I was brought to tears; envisioning the father running to meet his run-away son. I saw myself in that son; now forgiven, welcomed home.

The other son in this story was angry; the son who had not run away; the son who had always obeyed his father. He refused to come to the party, staying outside, pouting.

And the father, who loved them both, also went out to this son. He entreated him to enter, to join in the festivities. But he would not.

This second son represented the religious leaders of Jesus’ day - the Pharisees. They had it all figured out, when it came to obeying the law. As far as they were concerned, they were the righteous ones and what kind of God would pardon such a sinner as the first son, namely those people who were not like them.

Thank God that He reaches out to all. He is no respecter of persons. We may not know it, but we are all prodigals. So overwhelmed by the grace, mercy, love and compassion of such a Saviour.

“Call upon me and I will answer you…”(Jeremiah 33:3)